DeAndre Jordan sat on the dais Tuesday inside the Chick Hearn Press Room at Staples Center. Surrounded by Clippers coach Doc Rivers, some new teammates and an existing one, Jordan had a lot to answer for since changing his mind and leaving the Dallas ...

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NBA basketball

JOHANNESBURG >> The NBA put on a show in its first exhibition game in Africa on Saturday — starting with a dunk straight from the tip-off by Luc Mbah a Moute. That had the crowd roaring early at Ellis Park Arena in downtown Johannesburg. It got even louder when African NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo stripped off their business suits to don their old team uniforms again and play for a little while in the second quarter. The 52-year-old Olajuwon, in a...

By Gerald Imray
The Associated Press
|19 hrs ago

Fairs and festivals

COSTA MESA >> Hibachi lives! Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was banned from playing basketball carnival games at the Orange County Fair after he won a ridiculous amount of prizes. Arenas posted a photo of his winnings on Instagram Sunday with the caption: “We just got banned from all the basketball hoops at #orangecountyfair...every one screamed #theRimsarebent I screamed #hibachi ...#ArenasFamily...

Sports

The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — LeBron James is setting his sights beyond the basketball court. The NBA star and his company, SpringHill Entertainment, have signed a content creation deal with Warner Bros. that includes potential projects in film, television and other digital properties. Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara announced the partnership Wednesday. James says connecting with his fans and “telling meaningful stories” have...

|1 week, 3 days ago

Sports

LAS VEGAS >> It’s only summer league. It’s a mantra that’s been uttered over and over in Las Vegas over the last week while the league’s highest profile exhibition has been played. It’s important context to consider when evaluating the level of play — good or bad — from the youngsters and journeymen participating. Many stars of summers past have been unable to parlay that success into meaningful NBA careers, but the level...

By Jon Krawczynski
The Associated Press
|1 week, 6 days ago

Sports

The congratulatory text messages flooded Jordan Clarkson’s phone. The Lakers’ guard had just landed on the NBA’s all-rookie first team, a bright spot following a sour team season and a fitting end to a journey that started as an unnoticed second-round pick. Among the well wishers was Clarkson’s personal trainer,...

Sports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — All-Star center Marc Gasol says he’s sorry if Grizzlies’ fans worried over how long it took to learn that he wasn’t leaving Memphis. There was never reason to fret, though. Gasol said Tuesday he already knew he wasn’t going anywhere else. “Once the dust settled and I started thinking about the process of next season, every scenario would bring me back to Memphis,” he said. “It never opened up to different...

By CLAY BAILEY
The Associated Press
|2 weeks, 5 days ago

Sports

LAS VEGAS >> Nearly every three minutes he has been on the court, Tarik Black has heard something that has soon become a soundtrack surrounding his summer league stint. A referee blows his whistle for yet another foul Black has committed. Thanks to the summer league rule that allows a maximum of 10 fouls per game, Black has caught the referees’ attention...

Sports topics

LAS VEGAS >> As initial steps go, this was a doozy. Gathered on one stage just off the Las Vegas strip you had the next Lakers superstar making his professional debut, a matchup between the first two overall picks in the NBA draft, the long-awaited return of Julius Randle and the first glimpse of the talented backcourt the Lakers hope will lead them to their next dominant era. And it all played out in front of a packed Thomas & Mack Center filled primarily with

Sports

Only 48 hours await before Julius Randle will make his summer league debut, ending a 10-month rehab process on a right leg injury that wiped out his rookie season. Even before seeing how that plays out, the Lakers are exercising caution. They will sit Randle out of the Lakers’ second summer league game Saturday against Philadelphia in Las Vegas after he plays...

Lakers

Lakers beat writer Mark Medina takes questions from basketball fans about the team’s offseason, free agency failures and preparations for Summer League. Also, are the Lakers more likely to win another NBA title before the Clippers win their first? Viewing on mobile? Click here see Q&A.